H&M Conscious Exclusive Featuring Olivia Wilde

An organic silk sleeveless gown with hand-drawn images of birds. A black cocktail dress made from recycled wool embellished with recycled sequins. An asymmetrical sleeveless printed cocktail dress made from organic hemp, silk and cotton. Not what you would typically find when browsing at your local H&M, right?

On April 14th 2015, H&M, Olivia Wilde and Conscious Commerce opened a Conscious Pop-Up shop in H&M’s Times Square location. The pop up shop features a variety of merchandise curated by Conscious Commerce. Some of the brands include LSTN headphones, which fund hearing restoration, S’well water bottles, which help bring clean water to the world's poorest communities and The Giving Keys necklaces, made from keys, which provide employment opportunities to people experiencing homelessness.

H&M Conscious Exclusive Olivia Wilde

H&M has been extremely successful with their latest business practices, but it is leveraging this collection to move the brand toward a better fashion future. With this collection H&M is changing its approach and investing in both sustainability and pret-a-porter-like designs. It is creating synergy between an established brand and a number of worthy causes.

Olivia Wilde, actress and humanitarian serves as the face of the collection as well as the co-curator of the Pop-Up shop. I am so excited to see someone as well known, as Olivia Wilde be as inspired as I am when established brands make conscious decisions. “H&M doesn’t have to do what they’re doing,” she said. “They’re doing just fine without investing heavily in sustainability. But they’re making it the ethos of their company, and I’m incredibly inspired by that.”

H&m Conscious Pop Up Shop

H&M has found the balance of creating memorable designs that have more of an impact than just what meets the eye. The Pop-Up shop’s physical space design - including warm wood and soft lighting - supports the aesthetic of the H&M’s Conscious Exclusive Collection, contributing to the perception that this wasn’t H&M. While H&M’s traditional strength has been creating clothing for the masses, this collection, with its pret-a-porter aesthetic, is designed for a fashion conscious individual.

H&M Conscious Exclusive

Their collection features eye-catching prints; sophisticated draping, cool separates and intricate Japanese inspired details and tailored tuxedo styles. The choice to make the clothing in naturalistic hues reflects the environmental concerns behind their design. Some of the standout pieces include a silk full floor length printed skirt, long white trench coat and a black halter jumpsuit with an obi belt.

The Pop Up Shop is definitely worth a visit. It will be open through Sunday, April 19th, 9AM – 1AM at H&M Times Square Location. The Conscious Exclusive Collection is available exclusively at the Times Square store April 14th and 15th and will launch globally in select stores and on hm.com on April 16th.